Hi,
I have fibromyalgia, and I am over 250lbs. After reading a few things from your website I was unsure about what to do. I went into the showrooms today and tried some matresses. Only two of them were memorable I tried a prana and an icomfort that i really liked.
The prana was over 4,000$ and made of only latex which caused me to be skeptical of how long it would last before conforming to my shape and lose comfort, which is big for me because I havent slept more that 5 hours a night for 3 years.
The icomfort felt firmer but more supportive and it was my favorite until i tried the prana which helped some of my pain immediately.
I don’t want to spend more that 2,000$ but I would like something that will last and help me have a good nights sleep!
I saw this one online. It may give you an idea on possible construction guidelines.
http://www.selectabed.com/fibropedic.htm
Hi labella,
the prana uses latex which is the highest quality and most durable of all foams but having said that they are incredibly expensive compared to other latex mattresses that use similar quality materials. so thie issue is really one of value more than quality.
If you do a forum search on Prana it will bring up a few comments about them.
In post #11 here there is an analysis and review of the iComfort lineup (which I also don’t believe has good value).
There are some guidelines here which may help you avoid most of the pitfalls of mattress shopping and find better value.
If you let me know the city you live in I’d be happy to look and see if I know of any factory direct manufacturers or better outlets near you where you can get the help and guidance you need and probably also find much better value.
Depending on the size you are looking for … $2000 can buy you a very high quality mattress.
Phoenix
Hi drspence,
Thanks for the link 
I have talked with Dr Rick on many occasions and I think highly of his designs. In this case … 4 lb memory foam may be a little on the low side for higher weights and 5 lb may be more durable (even though they do use high quality memory foam) but the combination of memory foam and latex can be a very good one for those who need a combination of softness and support.
Phoenix
the specs on the matress I am looking at at a local mattress company are 1.7 LB. Polyurethane foam encasement, 6" Med-Firm dunlop 100% natural latex core, and a 2" super soft talalay latex foam. Would this be a simmilar feel to the prana matress I felt in the showroom?
or the other one that got my attention has 6" med-firm dunlop 100% natural latex core, and 3" talalay latex topper. I really liked the feel of the prana and want to find the closest match. Thanks so much for your help
Hi labella,
There are 8 different Pranasleep models and they are all made differently so I don’t know which one you tried. Their website also doesn’t list ILD,s and the types of latex are also different from what you are now testing so it would be impossible to “match” one against the other.
What I would suggest though is to start from the beginning and to test for pressure relief, posture and alignment, and your preferences just like you did with the Prana and not try to “duplicate” another mattress from memory. Matching your needs and preferences is much more accurate than matching another mattress … especially if the materials they use are different.
I’m guessing that the mattresses you are looking at are from Jamestown mattress? If this is the case, then you are in a good place and I think highly of them (and the father and son Jim and Jim that own it). I would probably suggest looking at their nature’s cloud series which are all latex (Dunlop Cores and Dunlop or Talalay comfort layers) and have no polyurethane in the quilting or around the base layers. I would test carefullly with the help of the staff and ask if they can adjust any of the layering if you need it (the 14 ILD latex is very soft and a little firmer may work if they can do this). I would also consider including the firm version in your testing as well as it may feel fairly soft for you and if it is too firm you can always add a topper.
Your own testing and the help of the staff there would be your best guideline though.
Phoenix